D-d-d-d-id you know that when the Who’s “My Generation” single was first released that the BBC refused to play it? Well it’s true, but why would they do such a thing I hear you ask? was it because the powers that be thought that Roger Daltrey was really on the verge of singing ‘f-f-f-fuck’ as opposed to ‘f-f-f-fade’ in the lyrics? No; apparently it was because that famous stutter adopted by Mr Daltrey on the song might actually offend stutterers everywhere! What do you think of that?
“He’s a rich bloke and he’s. gone to far coz he knows it don’t matter anyway”. That doesn’t have the same ring as rich girl does it? But in fact the classic Hall and Oates song “Rich Girl” is actually about a man. In a recent interview in Nashville with TMZ John Oates was asked if the song was about anyone in particular. He said that the song, which was written by Daryl Hall, was about an ex boyfriend of Sara Allen who was Daryl Hall’s girlfriend at the time. The man in question was the spoiled heir of a fast food fortune called Victor Walker; his father owned the Walker Bros. Original Pancake House in Chicago and a number of KFC franchises. Hall just felt that Rich Girl worked better than Rich Guy. Victor knows the song was written about him. I’d like to thank a fabulous Facebook buddy of mine for giving me this story; that’ll be you Samuel Glass Jr!
Sara Allen was clearly an important muse for Daryl hall as she was also the subject of two hall and Oates classics and indeed two of my favourite songs from the duo. Those songs are “Sara Smile” and “Las Vegas Turnaround (The Stewardess Song)”. You probably gathered from the sub-title of the second of those songs that Sara Allen was an Air Stewardess in the 70s. Sara’s sister Janna Allen went on to cowrite songs with Daryl and John, including “Kiss On My List” and “Private Eyes“. sadly she died from leukemia aged just 36 in 1993.
Songs returning to the top of the UK singles charts on separate chart runs is not an uncommon occurrence. Often after a death; “Bohemian Rhapsody” and “My Sweet Lord“. However in the USA it has only happened once to my knowledge. That was a feat achieved in 1960 and 1962. The song was originally by Hank Ballard and the Midnighters, although their version only made it to number 28 in the US chart in 1959 and even that was as a B-Side to “Teardrops On Your Letter”
I haven’t been a regular McDonalds customer for many, many years but I do think that their choice of music for the recent TV ad for ‘Spicy Chicken McBites’ was inspired. It is a version of ‘Real Wild Child’ by Ivan Allison. Who is Ivan I can hear you ask? OK so you didn’t ask, but I’ll tell you anyway. He is none other than the drummer from the Buddy Holly and the Crickets. Allison’s full name was Jerry Ivan Allison and he was more than just a great drummer; he also co-wrote some of the bands biggest hits with Holly. Those included “Peggy Sue” and “That’ll Be The Day”. The first release of the song came from Australian rocker Johnny O’Keefe back in 1958. The song has been covered by many artists from Jerry Lee Lewis to Jet Harris before James Osterberg a.k.a Iggy Pop took his version into the UK top ten in 1986.
In 1942 during World War 2 the BBC banned a rather innocuous little song. The tune was deemed to be ‘too catchy’ (an early earworm perhaps?) and the ‘powers that be’ thought that it would distract factory workers when it was played on the wireless. This of course would significantly damage the war effort. So what was that demonic song that might have caused Britain to lose the war? It was Bing Crosby’s version of “Deep In The Heart Of Texas”.
Where are these people when you need them to ban such drivel as anything by One Direction, Matt Curdle, Olly Murs, Westlife and Boyzone to name but a few. However it is quite amusing that the Bing Crosby song is joined on the list of songs banned by the BBC by “Relax” – Frankie Goes To Hollywood, “Je T’Aime (Mois Non Plus)” – Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg, “Fuck You” – Eamon, “God Save The Queen” – Sex Pistols and “Give Ireland Back To The Irish” and “Hi Hi Hi” both by Wings. These songs were variously banned for being about sex or drugs, containing profanities or being too political. All Bing’s little ditty did was simply be ‘too catchy’!
Back in 1975 when Queen‘s “Bohemian Rhapsody” was number one in the UK charts for the first time did you notice that it’s lyrics contained the name of the song which succeeded its 9-week run at the top in early 1976? I certainly didn’t notice, but obviously it has the phrase “Mama Mia” in it which is the title of the Abba song which followed it to number one. I wonder if that has ever happened since? It certainly didn’t happen when “Bohemian Rhapsody” returned to the UK number one spot after the death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. It was followed by Wet Wet Wet with “Goodnight Girl” then.
Did you know that the Beatles released one single that none of the band played on? It’s kind of obvious when you think about it. The song is “Eleanor Rigby” which was released on the same single as “Yellow Submarine” in 1966. It reached number one in many countries including the UK, Canada, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Australia and Austria. The musicians who played on the track were;
On Violin – Tony Gilbert, Sidney Sax, John Sharpe and Juergen Hess.
On Viola – Stephen Shingles and John Underwood
On Cello – Derek Simpson and Norman Jones.
It makes you wonder how many other bands didn’t play on their big hits. It would be fair to assume that the likes of the Bay City Rollers, Westlife, Boyzone, the majority of X Factor muppets and many others didn’t play on any of their hits wouldn’t it? But then again even Ringo didn’t feature on the Beatles initially released version of “Love Me Do” in 1962. Sid Vicious‘ bass playing featured on hardly any Sex Pistols recordings, most of those were completed by Glen Matlock or Steve Jones. Listening to some bootlegs of the band from late 1977 to the ill-fated US tour of January 1978 suggests that there was a good reason Sid didn’t contribute bass to many songs, he just wasn’t very good at it!
Scottish band Teenage Fanclub‘s rather excellent 1995 album ‘Grand Prix‘, their fifth, was apparently given it’s title as a joke. The band claim that they wanted to hear Americans call the album ‘Grand Pricks’.
The album reached number seven in the UK album charts and often makes it on to many best album listings. Nigel Hitchcock played alto-saxophone on the LP and in the same year he appeared on releases from Linda Lewis, the Boo Radleys, Cher and Take That.
Thin Lizzy‘s first album was released in 1971 and was called, perhaps unimaginatively, ‘Thin Lizzy’. But did you know that it was going to be named after Phil Lynott‘s cat Pippin. The album title would have been ‘The Friendly Ranger’ because Pippin had a white face with a black strip across the eyes which looked a little like the Lone Ranger‘s mask. Although the album title must have been a disappointment for Pippin, Phil made up for it by naming his music publishing company Pippin The Friendly Ranger. The album did feature a track called “The Friendly Ranger at Clontarf Castle“.
That is probably a level of fame achieved by no other cat in rock history. Morrissey had a cat called Minnie, Debbie Harry‘s was called Sunday Man and the Factory Records cat based at the Hacienda was known, in keeping with every Factory asset. as FAC191. This post is dedicated to my beautiful wife Catherine a.k.a Catwoman on this blog as she has been ill over the Christmas period.
Did you hear Mr Bowie‘s Elvis impersonating Christmas message on 6 Music‘s ‘This Is Radio Clash’ show presented by Mick Jones, Paul Simonon and Topper Headon this yuletide? I didn’t when it was broadcast but I have now! (Click here to hear it on the Rolling Stone magazine website). I know that Bowie was an Elvis fan and that he shares a birthday with the King, January 8th albeit 12 years apart. But I have never heard him do the voice before. It has been said that Bowie was trying to get Elvis to record “Golden Years” but it never happened because Elvis went and died on us.
With Just A Hint Of Mayhem 